Enter the Mirror
by LegoSpacy
Summary: Deep in a forest that stands despite unrelenting cold and snow is a strange stone structure. No one knows what it is, not even the resident Guardian of the Forest. Now, a power stirs there, one with the ability to destroy all that exists. And no one knows. Not even the wielder herself.
1. Strange occurrences

Prologue: Reality

"The multiverse is made up of a probably infinite number of parallel universes, otherwise known as dimensions (although the latter term primarily has a different meaning). Every single possibility, and every single moment in time there has been and is still to come is represented in an infinite number of these realities. Every possible permutation of everything is occurring in an infinite number of these dimensions."

"Somehow, something happened, which caused a shift (or imbalance, if you will) in the multiverse. In turn, several beings came in existence. They were unique to their universe, and were in no others, and were linked in a way that transcended any understanding. From their first moment of existence, they carried a special power, one so powerful that it could destroy the multiverse itself if allowed to grow."

"This is the beginning of the story of one of those beings. A being who holds deep inside them an ability so powerful, that the fabric of reality can be bent by it, and even destroyed by it. This is a story of discovery, a story of friendship, and a story of destiny."

* * *

Hi, readers! Welcome to Enter the Mirror! This is my first completed multi-chapter work. I'm not sure whether it's executed that well. That's for you to decide. If you do decide, please review, because feedback is always nice. It helps me improve! This story may not make too much sense, and some parts might seem ridiculous (and probably are), but I think most things are cleared up by the end. This was quite fun to write, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

I do not own the concept of Pokémon, that belongs to Nintendo. However, the plot and character personalities are my own work.

_(EDIT, 2013-07-19: I have changed the introduction somewhat to reflect a new idea I've had.)_

* * *

Chapter one: Strange occurrences

The very first thing she did was take a breath.

The cold air filled her lungs, and she instinctively coughed. Then, she opened her eyes.

Before her lay a forest, dotted with bright white snow. Where grass could be seen, it was a bluish-green. Tall, dark trees reached into the light blue sky, their leaves a dark green. There was no wind, and the trees stood still. Under her feet she felt stone.

The forest was silent, save for her breathing. Her breaths condensed into light fog, trailing away from her as she exhaled. She raised her paws in front of her. They were black, three-fingered paws. Going up her arms, past her wrists, was a V-shaped border between her black paws, and her yellow arms and body. Turning around slowly, she felt the air against her skin. She sensed a weight pulling on her head, but as she turned, it stayed behind her, never entering her sight.

She was standing on a stone platform. On it were three stone pillars, arranged in a triangle, her in the centre. On the pillar closest to her was a raised rectangular slab. On it, some writing was etched, faded enough as to be unreadable.

Behind the pillars was a large cube-shaped block of stone, hollowed out to form an alcove, slightly above the rest of the platform. In that, there was another carving, but it was too far away to make out. She looked back at the one on the pillar.

As she looked at the carving, a dull pain slowly grew in the back of her head. She raised a paw to her forehead, but the pain grew stronger. She fell to her knees, both paws against her head, as if desperately trying to make the pain stop. But the pain only intensified, her eyes now clenched shut from the unrelenting fire in her mind. Images flashed through her head, but none of them were clear. It felt as though her head was being crushed slowly, to allow her to feel the agonising weight bear down on her. Before she could make a sound, she succumbed to unconsciousness and crumpled to the ground.

* * *

The scenery rushed past as he made his way through the cold forest. He wasn't in any sort of hurry, he was just having fun. It was just so...exhilarating to fly around at high speed, as if there were no limits. His small wings beat rapidly as he zoomed around the trees, knocking little clumps of snow from their leaves, himself just a pink blur. He descended towards the ground, dodging bushes and shrubs. Even though he was the Guardian of the Forest, that didn't mean he couldn't have fun.

But there was something strange about this forest. Deep within lay a stone structure, its purpose unknown to him. He had never known who built it. It had been there for as long as he knew. He had once tried going back as far as he could into the past, but it had always been there. The stone etchings on one of the pillars had not been as worn then as it was now, however, and despite it being written in a language which ceased to exist countless years ago, he had been able to read it. Also of interest was the stone alcove on the other end of the platform. It was high enough for him to stand in with some head room, wide enough for three of him standing side by side, and deep enough that he could lie down in it and still have quite a bit of room between his feet and the entrance.

As it came into view, he saw something different, something he had never seen there before. A lone figure was collapsed on the stone floor, in the centre of the structure. The normally grey pillars were emitting a faint blue light. His eyes widened in surprise, and the memory of the text on the pillar came back to him.

"Reality is like a mirror, a mirror of us; what we want, what we have, what we believe.  
An immense power will be unleashed here. Nothing will be able to stop it. Nothing but itself."

He rushed towards the platform. Landing on it, he could see the figure more clearly. It was a Mawile.  
She had collapsed onto her stomach. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow but steady. He sighed with relief. She wasn't badly hurt, just unconscious.

He looked over her, looking for any sign of injuries. As he glanced over the large maw attached to the back of her head, he noticed a difference he did not expect. As far as he knew, Mawile have a yellow spot on their second mouths, but this one did not. Satisfied that she was not seriously hurt, being somewhat worried for her (not to mention curious), and having nothing else to do, the Celebi sat beside her, waiting for her to wake up.

* * *

She finally stirred, her senses returning to her. She again felt the stone floor, and the cold air. But she also felt something else. She heard breathing that was not her own. She shifted, placing her paws on the ground, lifting herself up and raising her head.

The Celebi was distracted from his thoughts by a sound. He turned to see that the Mawile had awoken. He moved closer, but stopped when he saw her eyes.

They were not as one would expect a Mawile's to be, and not just being something other than the usual bright red of her species. Her irises actually were different colours from one another. Her left eye was a leaf green, while her right was a deep blue.

She seemed nervous, almost afraid. He tried to reassure her with a smile, reaching out to help her up. She slowly and nervously took his paw, and looked around, noticing that she was still on the platform. The sky had grown a little darker, rain clouds beginning to form. She returned her attention to the strange pink figure standing before her. He smiled again. Then, his expression gained a slightly more serious tone, one of concern. Looking into her eyes, he spoke.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Despite the other questions that filled his mind, he had to make sure she was alright. She nodded somewhat hesitantly in response, and he relaxed subtly.  
"That's good. If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? I didn't think that Mawile would live somewhere like here, or at least come out this far into a forest."

She was a little panicked at the question. She looked around nervously, as she searched her memories, only to find that she could recall nothing before she awoke on the stone platform for the first time. She looked back at the pink figure before her, not sure what to do. He looked as though he was about to say something, but then a flash of light lit up the area, which drew to their attention how dark it had gotten. A rumbling thunder followed soon afterwards, and then some small droplets of rain.

The rain splashed as it hit the ground. The stone floor was slowly becoming reflective as water pooled on it. It was only now that she could see what she looked like. Her mismatched eyes stared back at her. The water rippled as raindrops impacted on it. She looked into the puddle for a few seconds before the Celebi lightly tapped her shoulder, and she looked up.

"The questions can wait. We should shelter over there until the rain stops." He pointed to the alcove near the back of the platform, and again recalled the writing in it.

The Mawile still seemed quite confused, which he found a little strange. It was as though she had gone to sleep, and woken up somewhere completely different, somewhere vastly unfamiliar. But he felt that here was more to it than that, like she had lost her very identity. They went over to the alcove, and sat inside.

The Mawile looked out at the rain. The sky was dark, but a part of the clouds glowed white, signalling the presence of the moon behind them. She looked as though she was still trying to piece together what had happened. He moved to face her.

Apart from her eyes and the lack of a spot on her maw, she seemed to be a perfectly normal Mawile. Not that he knew that much about them. He knew they were generally cave dwellers, living under the ground and in other dark places. But his knowledge didn't go much further than that. What one was doing all the way here, he had no idea.

He wasn't sure whether her lack of speech so far was due to some sort of shock, or whether it was because she had lost the ability to speak. It was possible that she had never had the ability in the first place. Or maybe she was just a quiet type, although that wasn't particularly likely. He just didn't know for sure.

To communicate with the Mawile was going to be a difficult task. Although he was a psychic type, he didn't have all that much telepathic ability. Maybe they could work out some other way to talk. But for now, he didn't want to push her too much. So again, they sat there, looking out to the rain. The area was getting very dark, both due to the clouds and the fast-approaching night. He really wasn't sure how long the rain would continue. With nothing else to do, the two of them simply waited.

* * *

Eventually, the rain slowed, and then stopped. The clouds moved on, and in their place shone the moon, white and full. The air was cold, a light breeze blowing through the trees. The Celebi stepped out onto the platform, which was now wet with rain. The moonlight lit up the area and reflected off of the puddles. The Mawile followed out behind him. The Celebi turned to her.

"Do you have anywhere to go back to?" he asked. She shook her head slowly, and then looked back into his eyes. Again, he saw fear in her eyes. He made to reassure her.  
"It's okay, you can come with me."

She nodded as if to thank him. He wondered for a brief moment why she seemed to trust him, even though they had only known each other for less than a day, but then answered his own question in his mind. If he had lost his memory, he would most likely cling to the first being he met, just like the Mawile was doing.

He yawned, bringing to his attention that it was late, and he was tired.  
"It's late, and we should sleep. Since we're here, we might as well just sleep in this. Is that all right with you?" She nodded slightly.

He lay down on his back, the Mawile doing do as well. The back of the alcove tapered into an inverse hemisphere, but there was enough space between it and their heads to be comfortable.

"Good night."


	2. Shared feelings

Chapter two: Shared feelings

As much as she wanted to just fall asleep, she couldn't. Her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts about her, who she was, where she came from. All these things were a mystery. Now, with nothing to distract her, those thoughts filled her head. She opened her eyes, and looked around. She saw the Celebi sleeping peacefully next to her, and the moonlight outside, shining onto the ground. She slowly and quietly got up, and being careful not to disturb the Celebi, walked outside.

The moon was almost directly vertical in the sky, casting a brilliant glow onto the still-wet platform beneath her feet. The pillars cast a faint blue light onto the ground. She looked up into the sky ahead of her for a moment, staring into the cloudless abyss. She could not stop thinking about who she was. Her mind felt empty. She knew language and basic things about the world, but nothing beyond that. Whether she had lived a life before, or something else, she didn't know. And she could not stop thinking about it.

The Celebi woke, no longer sensing the Mawile's presence next to him. He turned, and indeed she was not there. He shifted his attention to the alcove's entrance, and he saw her standing outside. Getting up, he went over to her. On the way, he noticed that the pillars were still glowing, but he didn't think it was important.

"Can't sleep?" he asked as he came up beside her. She jumped a little, then nodded. He stood next to her and looked out to the sky. Only a few stars were visible, as the moonlight made it difficult to see any more.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Usually you can see more stars on cloudless nights, but the moon is full tonight. I think that in itself is still a beautiful thing." She nodded, more enthusiastically than usual. He smiled, then turned his head to face her. She did the same, and their eyes met. Hers almost seemed to glow.

"Something on your mind?" he asked. She nodded again. "I know the feeling." He paused for a moment, and just looked into her eyes. They were...mesmerising. He stared for a moment before managing to look away.

She looked at him with a hint of concern. She went to place a paw on his shoulder, but hesitated. He looked back up at her.  
"I'm okay." he said. "We need to find a better way to communicate. "She nodded in agreement. The current arrangement was very one-sided. He paused again, then continued.  
"Do you know why you can't speak?" She shook her head. No matter how hard she tried to form words, nothing would come out. She felt as though she was missing a part of her, a part that allowed her to speak. She could understand and use language fine, so she could theoretically communicate. But, she just couldn't speak.

The Celebi seemed to think for a moment, then he sighed. "I have an idea, but I don't know whether it will work." She perked up a little bit upon hearing this.

"Since I am part-psychic, I do have some telepathic ability. It's a bit limited though. I may be able link our minds, so we can communicate on a more metaphysical level." He looked uncertain. "But, I haven't done this before. " He took a slow breath. "Do you want to try?"

On one hand, it was a promising way for them to finally have a two-way conversation. On the other hand, he had never done it before, and had no way of knowing what would happen if they tried.

It sounded good to her. She had one question she really wanted to ask him, and this would be a chance to. She was prepared to take the risk. She nodded once more.

"Okay then. Come in here, it'll be easier." He moved into the alcove and sat on one side, facing a side wall. She sat in front of him, facing him. He held out his paws.  
"Hold my paws." She did so. He closed his eyes, and she followed.

A feeling of content filled her. It was as though her mind had been expanded, and that expansion was filled with the consciousness of another, of him. She heard words echo through her mind. It felt strange.  
"Can you hear me?"

It was his voice. Breathing deeply, she spoke to him with her mind.  
"Yes."

"This feels so amazing!" She could feel his excitement.  
"Yes, it does." Through the link, she could feel what he felt. Although she had little basis for comparison, it was the most amazing thing she had ever felt. She recalled the question she wanted to ask him. "I would like to ask you something."  
"Sure, go ahead!"  
"Ever since you found me, you have helped me and cared for me, as though you trust me, despite the fact that we only just met. Why are you doing this?"  
He hesitated a little before responding.  
"Many years ago, I lost someone I knew. Someone I knew very well. I blamed myself for not looking after them enough, and for not being there for them." She could feel his sadness.  
"I believe I understand. Thank you."

They released each other's paws. It was still night, the moon now slightly behind the alcove, casting its shadow onto the platform. The Celebi looked out, then back at the Mawile.  
"We should get some sleep while it's still night." She nodded.

As they lay down for the second time that night, the Celebi spoke once again.  
"I promise, we will find out who you are." As he said this, the Mawile closed her eyes, and a slight smile reached her lips.


	3. Inner power

Chapter three: Inner power

She woke to a light shining in her eyes. She turned away from it, and opened her eyes. It was the sun, half over the horizon. Its rays shone into the alcove, the middle pillar on the platform casting a long shadow down its middle. She sat up, her eyes adjusting to the light. Then she noticed. The Celebi was not there. She slowly stood up and made her way outside. The platform was just a little damp beneath her feet. She looked around. The air was cold, but the sun warmed her as she stood beneath it.  
Where he could have gone, she had no idea. The only thing she could do was wait for his return. She moved to sit down on the stone platform, leaning against the alcove.

* * *

The Celebi was flying through the forest as fast as his wings could take him. He had sensed trouble near the edge of the forest and seen a bolt of what looked like lightning strike the ground some distance away. He had feared the worst, and as its Guardian, he had to help if help was needed. It didn't make any sense. There were no storm clouds, or clouds of any kind to generate a lightning strike. As he flew, he felt heat emanating from that direction, and as he flew closer, it intensified. He could now see glowing orange sparks floating on the wind, and then she saw the source.

Flames were everywhere. A branch fell, and sparks rose. The fire had spread quite a bit. He didn't have much time. But just as he was about to use his powers, a gush of water came from his right, and a large part of the fire was doused. He turned to its source, a Vaporeon. Another spray came from somewhere to his left. More and more jets of water appeared, and within moments, the fire was extinguished, leaving charred branches and burnt trees. The damage was not as bad as he expected, however. The Vaporeon nodded in his direction before retreating into the foliage, probably heading back to the nearby lake. He hesitantly looked away, and headed for the platform, hoping that the Mawile back there was okay.

* * *

She saw the Celebi as he approached. He set down next to her. He spoke, but his voice had lost its usual spirit. He seemed almost...depressed.

"Good morning. Sorry I wasn't there, there was a fire. Started by a lightning strike that came from nowhere, apparently. Seems that it was under control though." She looked up at him with a worried expression. They watched the sun rise through the trees. The snow had disappeared, revealing the trees in their entirety.  
"I don't feel as though I'm needed here anymore. Everyone here protects the forest, working together to keep their home safe, without need for my help. I have no more purpose to serve here." He stared off into the distance as he said this. "And without purpose, what am I?"  
The Mawile closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about what he had said. She opened them when he spoke again.  
"I was wondering, do you have a name?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Well, I'm Arti." He leaned back on the alcove. She idly looked up at the carving on the pillar closest to them. He noticed this.  
"I have the ability to travel through time to some extent. As far back as I can go, this structure is there. The writing on the pillar was clearer then." He recited the words that he had committed to memory.

"Reality is but a mirror, a mirror of us; what we want, what we have, what we believe.  
An immense power will be unleashed here. Nothing will be able to stop it. Nothing but itself."

As soon as he said 'mirror', she momentarily lost herself in her thoughts. She was brought back to reality by a paw on her shoulder.  
"Are you okay? You sort of drifted off for a moment." She nodded, and he smiled. But she couldn't let go of the word. Mirror... It resonated through her like an echo. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Arti speaking again.  
"You looked as though you were remembering something. Is Mirror your name?" She shrugged. "I've never heard of anyone named that before. Do you like the sound of it?" She nodded. "Would you like it to be your name?" She hesitated, then nodded again. "It's a nice name, Mirror." He smiled, and so did she.

After watching the sun rise above the trees, Arti turned to face her, and she turned her head too.  
"I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Want something?" She hadn't noticed until he asked, but she was actually quite hungry. She nodded. "Well, come over here."

He hovered over to the edge of the platform, Mirror following behind him. He closed his eyes, and suddenly, a small seedling seemed to grow out of the ground next to the platform. It grew rapidly, and in just a few moments, it was a mature tree, laden with various types of berries. Arti reopened his eyes and smiled at Mirror. Her expression was one of amazement.  
"Let's eat!" he said. She smiled, a look of excitement on her face. Together, they made their way to the tree.

Arti reached out and picked a small red berry. He brought it to his mouth and chewed on it, savouring the flavour. He swallowed it, then turned to Mirror.  
"These are my favourite. Try some!" She obliged, and picked one lower down. She placed it in her mouth, and a sweet taste filled her mouth. As far as she knew, she had never tasted anything before, which made it feel all the more amazing. She finished the berry, then looked at Arti, smiling.

Eventually, they ate their fill and sat on the edge of the platform.  
"I discovered those berries on a little tree somewhere in this forest. They became my favourite berry." Her attention was only half-focused on his words. Ever since Arti had created the tree, she had felt different somehow. She couldn't really describe it, it was just different. She raised her paws in front of her.  
"Hey." It was Arti. "Are you all right? You're drifting off a lot." She looked him in the eye and nodded slowly. "Are you wondering about yourself?" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I'm curious too, but we don't really have any leads."

She had been contemplating that earlier, but now something else distracted her. A feeling that a part of her had been...no, not restored. More as though she had been given something beyond just the physical level. Like she had learnt something without being taught, or like she had remembered something. But what it was, she wasn't sure. She thought back a bit. It could've been the feeling of tasting something, couldn't it? No, it wasn't that. Could it have been...the tree? But what about it?  
She snapped back to reality as she realised. It wasn't the tree itself, but how it had been created.

Arti had created it with his powers. She looked at the ground in front of her, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, a seedling appeared from the grass. She opened her eyes, and breathed deeply. Arti looked at her in amazement. She closed her eyes again, and the tree grew a bit. She opened her eyes, and the tree continued to grow. When the tree reached as tall as the one Arti created, it stopped. He was awestruck.  
"Did you...? How did you...?"

He paused, mind in awe.  
"That is amazing! I didn't think Mawile could do things like that, but I guess you aren't a typical Mawile." Arti said, still with slight disbelief. "How did you do that?" she shrugged. She really didn't know herself.

Arti thought for a while, then spoke.  
"I have a theory. You saw me do that, and then you did it yourself. I wonder if you can copy abilities just by watching them in action." She thought about it. However far-fetched it was, it was the only explanation that fit the evidence.  
"How about we test the theory?" Her expression became inquisitive. "I'll use some of my abilities. If this theory is correct, you should be able to use them once I do." She thought for a moment, then nodded.

He moved away a little. "What I think I'll try first is a psychic blast. Brace yourself, it can be rather strong." She nodded and placed her paws on the platform to support herself. He hovered a bit higher, then closed his eyes. Immediately, a shock wave rushed outwards in a sphere from him. It passed her, exerting quite a force on her, but she held on. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Now, you try."

She stood up slowly, and walked closer to the centre of the platform. She took a deep breath, then shut her eyes. A shock wave expanded rapidly from her, pushing Arti a little. As it dissipated, she reopened her eyes. He quickly flew over to her.  
"You are amazing!" She was still a little shocked, but managed a small smile. "You copied that perfectly! It's like Mirror Move!" She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh, Mirror Move is a move that some flying species use. It allows them to use the last move they saw. Its name is oddly appropriate, actually."

"Let's try something else. How about...this?" He looked in the direction of the berry tree, a few of the fruits still on it. Some of them started to glow, and then float through the air as though carried by an invisible force, which actually, they were. They moved over the platform and were gently set down. "This is telekinesis. You try." She nodded and concentrated on the berries Arti had moved, they again began to glow with a faint aura. They wobbled a bit, then left the ground. They spun a few times, then were placed back onto the platform. "This is just...amazing!" Mirror looked towards Arti, feeling a similar amazement.

But something was different, not just the fact that she had just discovered this ability. There was more to it, she could feel it. Turning towards the two berry trees, she concentrated again. As she did, a small stalk grew from the ground, growing a little before a single berry sprouted and grew to its full size. She looked back at Arti, who again seemed struck with amazement. After a few moments, he managed to get a few words out. "Wait, did you just...use that again? That's...wow."

They sat down on the platform while Arti tried to understand what had just happened.

"You can learn abilities just by seeing them used?" He looked at the worn carved words on the pillar. "You know how that carving says 'An immense power will be unleashed here.' Maybe your ability is that power. I can see you becoming very strong. If you learn every ability that you see, you could be...well, unstoppable." She looked scared. He placed a paw on her shoulder to comfort her. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. "Don't worry," he decided to say. "I'd be scared too. Let's just rest for a while." She nodded slowly.

They sat on the platform for a bit. The sun was nearing vertical in the sky, and while the air was cold, the sun warmed them. The trees stood tall, with nothing to indicate that winter had ever been.  
"This place is beautiful in spring. It's amazing how every year storms and even blizzards rage through this forest, but every year, the trees still stand strong. The climate varies greatly here, and I don't really know why." He stared up, watching the clouds slowly move across the sky. "Come to think of it, this entire forest is a mystery. The climate doesn't make much sense, this platform is just here, with no obvious purpose, and now you're here. I've been here a while, from my point of view. Maybe around ten cycles of the moon. Time travel can complicate things a bit." He turned to look at Mirror, who seemed to just be listening to him. He looked back towards the sky, and continued. "I came here to help protect this place. I was very confused by the winter. Despite the raging snowstorms that continuously sweep over this area during that season, the trees and other plant life always survived. I would expect that a place that gets that kind of a winter to be a barren plain of snow. But it's a forest. How, I do not know. All I know is that I have nothing to do with it. It just survives."

"There are so many things I want to know about this place. But I can't find the answers anywhere. You seem to be connected to this place. Maybe by uncovering who you are, we can learn more about what this forest is. Or maybe it'll happen the other way around." Then, he suddenly noticed something he hadn't before, and turned to face Mirror. "Hey, are the pillars still glowing?" She looked at them for a moment, then nodded in his direction. He took a breath. "They've never done that before. I hope it doesn't mean anything." He once again stared at the sky. Suddenly, he felt something on his shoulder. He looked, and noticed that Mirror was resting her head lightly on his shoulder. He smiled, and together they watched the clouds move across the sky.

* * *

The sun reached its peak in the sky, and slowly began its descent back towards the horizon. They just sat there on the platform, staring off into the distance as if they had nothing to worry about, as if their lives were perfect. To Mirror, it felt that way. She lazily leaned on Arti's shoulder, relaxing in the sun's warmth. The only sound was that of the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees.

Eventually, Arti spoke.  
"I've wondered what happened here before I met you. I can time travel, so maybe we can find out." Mirror lifted her head off of his shoulder and faced him, looking a little puzzled. "I mean, before your first memory. If we time traveled back a little while before that point, we could get some clue as to where you came from, and maybe why you can't remember anything before that." Her expression became one of understanding.

"We aren't busy or anything, so if you're up to it, I'd like to try it."


	4. Unexpected truth

Chapter 4: Unexpected truth

Mirror looked at the ground for a moment, then turned to look Arti in the eye. In them, he saw fear and apprehension, but also confidence and curiosity.  
"Do you want to do this?" he asked. She nodded.  
He stood up and started walking towards the trees, and she did the same.

"We should go somewhere where we can't be seen from the platform, just in case someone is there. I'm going to take us back to the morning of the day I found you, because it was evening when I did find you." He paused for a moment. "Also, do not interact with anyone in the past unless you absolutely have to." She nodded. "Alright! This may feel somewhat strange." Then he closed his eyes and focused.

Rings of light emanated from where they stood, rushing outwards. Light blue waves of energy seemed to cascade through the tops of the trees, passing from one to the next. The area around them began to glow, brighter and brighter. Then, it vanished. The sun was low in the sky, the pillars casting shadows onto the alcove. They were in the past.

Mirror took a quick deep breath. The experience was so different to anything that she had felt before. She felt a little dizzy, but otherwise she was fine. Arti was hovering in front of her.  
"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded. "Good." Then he looked towards the platform. "No one's here. We'll have to wait." He continued to look at the platform for a moment. "Hey, the pillars aren't glowing. I guess we'll find out a bit more about that at some point."  
They sat underneath a tree, out of sight of the platform.  
"If we wait here, we should eventually see you get here." She nodded.  
The sun slowly made its way across the sky. They didn't really have anything to do while they waited, so they sat in silence. Mirror felt nervous. But she wanted to know.

* * *

Eventually, they saw clouds in the sky, clouds that held rain. The sun was getting lower, and Mirror was almost falling asleep. Arti found himself staring at the half-asleep Mawile. She looked so peaceful. There was a small smile on his face.  
Suddenly, there was a brief flash of light from the direction of the platform. A quiet sound accompanied it, one which he couldn't really describe. Once it had subsided, there on the platform was Mirror, the past version of her. He heard her take a quick, deep breath. He turned to face the present Mirror. She was fully awake now, and looked quite surprised, as was he.  
"You just...appeared. I'm not even going to try to explain it."

Mirror watched her past self look around, managing to stay out of sight. It felt odd, watching herself do things that she remembered doing. She watched herself look at the carving on the pillar. Then she gasped. She knew what was going to happen next. Arti turned to her, then looked back at the platform. The past Mirror looked behind herself at the alcove, then back to the carving. The present Mirror's breathing quickened, and the nervous feeling in her stomach grew. But then something happened that she had not expected. As her past self raised a paw to her head, pain flared in her own. She fell to all fours. Arti turned and knelt beside her, his eyes showing alarm and concern.

She clenched her eyes shut. But when she did, images flashed before her. She remembered them from the first time she experienced this, but she still didn't know what they meant. The images were extremely vivid, but so fast she couldn't make them out. It was overwhelming.

Arti had absolutely no idea what was happening. All he could do was kneel beside her. The past Mirror had collapsed onto the ground, in the exact position that he remembered finding her in.  
Then, with no warning at all, he was knocked back by a shock wave, which seemed to have come from Mirror herself.

Mirror wrenched her eyes open, and then fell to the ground. She was half-blinded by the visions, and the pain was excruciating. She barely heard the loud cracks around her.

Arti watched in utter confusion. He looked back at the platform again, and the pillars were glowing with their frost blue light. He could do nothing. The blast had thrown him against a tree, and he could only just move to see the platform.

Suddenly, her mind cleared, but around her was chaos. She turned and saw Arti against a tree. The world around her seemed to be falling apart. She looked up. Trees were falling, and bolts of lightning were striking all around. Somehow, she felt this in the very core of her being. She stood, and the ground shook. She turned to Arti, just to watch a falling tree crush him. There was no way he could have survived.

She cried out. She tried to run towards where he was, but the ground was too unstable. Cracks were opening up everywhere, swallowing the ground. It made no sense, what was happening. But somehow, she understood exactly what was going on.

Their universe was falling apart, and in its struggle to remain balanced, she had been created. But she was the cause. She was the reason she existed. She was a paradox.

She looked over at the platform. Two of the pillars had collapsed, but her past self still lay unharmed. But as she watched, the third began to topple. The ground shook violently for a moment, and that pillar started to fall, directly towards her past self. In that instant she realised. If her past self was to die, she would never have existed. In panic, she closed her eyes, and then everything went silent.

She slowly reopened her eyes, and everything was back to normal. But she knew that was only partly true. She had traveled back in time. Arti and the instance of herself with him were there, and staring at her, bewildered looks on their faces. She immediately moved next to her identical counterpart, and placed a paw on her shoulder. She gave her memories of what she had experienced, and told her what she was about to do, so that she could turn her double into her current self without her needing to go through what she just did. In a flash of light, she sent her double back in time to the exact moment she herself had travelled to only moments ago, closing the loop and preventing the events she had just experienced. She then placed her paw on Arti's shoulder. He gasped, and suddenly, memories flooded into his mind. Memories of the forest going dark, the sky turning black, of cracks appearing in the ground, and of him...being crushed by a falling tree. He couldn't make any sense of them. Then, the flow stopped, and she released the link. She stood up, and took a deep breath. Arti looked extremely confused, which she had expected. She offered her paw. He hesitated, then took it and stood up. She made the link again for long enough to tell him one thing.  
"I know this doesn't make any sense to you at the moment, but it will in time. Please, trust me."

She looked into his eyes, and he looked into hers. They were her eyes. No others mesmerised him quite like the way hers did. He took a breath.  
"I trust you. I've always trusted you, and I'm not going to stop now." She smiled weakly, then closed her eyes.

Waves of energy cascaded from her. Everything around them faded to white, then the white faded away. They were back to the moment just after they had gone back in time for the first time. She opened her eyes, and in them were tears, yet she was smiling. She held out her paws, and he took them in his. Their minds connected.

"You have cared for me and guided me. I knew nothing about this world, but you helped me. I can never truly express how grateful I am. I believe I have fulfilled my destiny. Even though it has only been a short time, I believe my life has come to an end. I was a product of my own actions, and since I have prevented those actions, I essentially do not exist. I have given you my memories. Eventually, you will understand them, and all will become clear.

Time is our greatest ally, and yet causes everything to eventually cease to exist. I hope you live a fulfilling life. I hope you will remember me.

This is it. Goodbye, Arti."

She opened her eyes once more, and she started to glow, her body becoming transparent. She stepped backwards. Arti tried to reach out to her, but his paw only felt air. She nodded towards him, tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face.

But then her expression changed to one of realisation. She raised her paws in front of her, and they started to glow brightly. A wave of energy cascaded down her arms and around her body. She became completely solid again, and the glow around her faded. She lowered her arms and took a deep breath. The cold air filled her lungs, and she coughed. Arti came forward, and touched a paw to her arm. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, then embraced each other in a hug.


	5. The power of one

Chapter 5: The power of one

The sun was setting slowly over the horizon behind the alcove. In a flash of light, Mirror disappeared and reappeared on top of the alcove. She stumbled, then regained her balance and sat on the edge, her feet dangling off it. Arti flew up to her, still quite bewildered, and sat beside her. Together, they looked out to the sunset, the sky near the horizon a beautiful orange.  
As they admired the view, Mirror held her hand out and looked him in the eye. He placed his paw on hers. They could again share their thoughts and emotions. Then he felt something strange from her, a feeling of...regret?

"I owe you an explanation. I gave you my memories to help you understand. I will try to explain them now.

When I first appeared, I experienced a strong headache. I saw countless different abilities be shown to me. I didn't know it at the time, but I learned them all without ever realising it. The second time, it triggered my mind into realising that I had them, and it overwhelmed me. I was terrified. I couldn't control it. In my panic, I tore the fabric of this universe apart with this power. It destabilised not just the area or the planet, but the entire universe. With the delicate balance broken, everything that we know would eventually collapse into nothing. Somehow, while it tried to regain balance, I was brought into existence, and given great power through the visions I saw. But since I caused the instability, and yet I am its product, I am a paradox. But I saved myself with these abilities. Even though I have changed the timeline, and now the instability has been averted, I still exist, and I still have this power. I believe that I am the most powerful being in existence.

I feel as though I could rip apart entire worlds. I can travel through time. I could probably kill anyone in an instant, and I could even bring someone back from the dead. I could cause everything that ever existed to descend into chaos. And no one can stop me.

I shouldn't even exist. I should have been removed from existence when the cycle was complete. But I changed history, and the fabric of reality itself. Was that the right thing to do? If I had sacrificed myself so that all that exists would be safe from me, would it have been the right choice? Should I have disappeared from existence when my destiny was complete? I don't know. But I'm here. My life continues, and the whole of reality is at my mercy because of that.

I can see everything. I can feel everything. The link between you and me. The rotation of the stars in the sky. The shifting of the balance of reality itself. I can feel everything that happens. Even the smallest movement is known to me. I could tap into someone's mind and read their very thoughts. I could know everything about them in an instant. I do not believe I have the right to. But I have the power to.

Is it safe for me to be with you? Can you trust me not to suddenly turn on you in a lust for domination over all that exists? Can I trust myself to hold back? Do I have the strength to keep all these feelings which reside in my mind from taking over? Maybe I shouldn't even be alive. The universe would probably be better off without me. I would be happy in death knowing that by taking my life, everything would be safe from this power I wield.

Will I be fated to hold this power within me forever? I don't know if I'm ready for that. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid."

As her words echoed through his mind, he simply listened. When she finished, he let her words sink in. It was understandable how she felt. But regret follows you around for the rest of your life, and no one deserved to live like that.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared too. To me, an ability as versatile, as powerful as that which you possess is the most frightening thing in existence even just by itself. But we're still friends. Let nothing change that.

I've gotten to know you well, as maybe more than a friend. You may be a little timid, but you have a strong mind. We've been through life and death together. I don't want to lose you.

I usually believe that you should do what you believe is right. But not this time. In my eyes, you have proven that you are worthy to wield such a power as this. I will be with you for as long as I live. I trust you. Never forget.

You've helped me see life in a different way. You've changed my way of thinking for the better. And for this I thank you."

There was a moment of silence, before he spoke again. "It feels ironic that the place we started this journey would be the only place we needed to go." He paused. "We never actually found out what this platform was built for." Mirror lifted her head up a little.

"It was built to detect imbalances in the fabric of reality." Arti nodded slowly.

There was another short silence. They locked eyes, and as they did so, tears started to form in hers.

"Thank you...for everything."


	6. Unclear paths

Epilogue: Unclear paths

The sun again peeked over the horizon, its light filtering through the trees. Mirror slowly woke, the rays of sunlight partially blinding her. But she immediately noticed something different. She could only see the things around her. She could only feel the air, and the warmth of Arti beside her. Should could no longer sense the movement of the grass, the breathing of the trees, the shifting of the cosmos. She stepped out of the alcove, and raised her hand out in front of her. Nothing happened. No beams of light, no flames, no amazing power. She lowered her arm, and looked up.  
She was free.

Arti hovered up beside her. "Good morning!" She jumped a little and turned. Her expression was one of joy. He noted this. "You seem quite happy today!" She smiled wider. "What's up?" She held up her arm, and he took it.

"The abilities I learned from the visions, they're gone. I don't have them anymore. Why, I do not know. But I won't have to bear the responsibility anymore."

"I'm happy for you." He thought for a moment, and formulated a theory. "Maybe it's because those abilities were given to you as a result of the paradox. Since it has been resolved, those powers no longer have an origin, therefore you no longer have them."  
"That makes sense, I guess."

They were silent for a few moments. Eventually, Mirror asked him something.  
"What will you do now? You said before that you think the forest can protect itself, without your help."  
"I was planning to return the the Hall of Origin before I met you. That's where some of the Legendaries reside. It's our meeting place, of sorts. But now that I've met you, I'm not so sure. Were you planning anything?"  
"I have nowhere to go. I hardly know anything about this world. I don't really know what to do." She felt a little worried. There was another period of silence.

"I...Would you like to visit the Hall? I'm sure the other Legendaries would be interested to meet you." She felt a bit of apprehension.  
"But, I'm not a Legendary. Would they allow me to be there?"  
"It'll be fine. I'll be there." She thought about it for a moment.  
"I have nowhere else to go. You are the only one I know. I want to come with you to the Hall."  
He smiled. "Okay. Are you ready?" She nodded. "Let's go. Take my paw."

She did so, grasping his paw with her own. Arti closed his eyes, and then they disappeared in a flash of light.


End file.
